Clay pipes are becoming a thing of the past with Sharrow Mills factory in Sheffield ceasing production. Very popular among collectors, it is a shame to see these pipes which were once made in their thousands, down to the last few available.
Originally the everyday pipe introduced into England in the 16th century and due to their popularity they were being made in their millions in every town across England. During the 1700s it was very popular with customers to buy clay pipes with people’s faces and animals along with various other designs. As these pipes are quite fragile, if they broke they were simply discarded and a new one was purchased.
The majority of customers who purchase clay pipes are collectors, although they are designed for smoking and many people do still smoke them. They were smoked for centuries but do not compare to the briar pipes. Clay pipes are porous, which means they smoke a little cooler and absorb impurities but there is no filter, so the smoke is straight through and can be quite harsh, especially if you are use to a Briar. The beautiful thing about the clay pipes, is that if you do manage to smoke one for a while without breaking it, you will start to see the beautiful colours seeping through the pipe as the heat and the tobacco transform the colour of the pipe. It would be worth using some Philtpad filters when smoking your clay pipe, as the untreated clay on the stem of the pipe will stick to the lips with moisture so we recommend dipping in butter prior to use.
Clay pipes are very fragile and will break with minimal miss-handling. For this reason, we can’t offer a guarantee on a clay pipe, it is likely there will be faults and air bubbles in the clay formed as it is moulded, so do not expect a perfect well finished pipe. These imperfections all make up the character and appeal of the clay pipe.
Presentation: Boxed
Some of the last clay pipes to be fired at Wilsons Sheffield mill, making these now highly collectable.
"Major-General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG (7 December 1839 – 2 June 1908) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.".
Extract from Wikipedia
If you are planning on smoking any of the Famous Faces pipes, please make sure you dip the mouth piece in butter first. If you leave the mouth piece uncoated, it will stick to your lips!
Length: 4.72 in / 12 cm
Bowl Height: 1.96 in / 5 cm
Chamber Diameter: 0.78 in / 2 cm